


Don't Abuse the Irony Machine

by Senket



Series: Matrimonial Complexity [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-02
Updated: 2010-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-15 13:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senket/pseuds/Senket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Rodney's birthday, but no one's said anything about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Abuse the Irony Machine

**Author's Note:**

> Season Four-ish

John felt a headache coming on, moving just ahead of Rodney as the scientist stared into space as he talked, mouth speedy and expressive, miraculously avoiding walking into walls.

"I mean, it's not like- I mean. I want people to like me. I know my words get away from me sometimes, but just because I'm completely honest doesn't mean-" he paused, huffed a long breath, red-faced and uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot before he started walking again, breezing past Sheppard. "Did you know it's my birthday today? I mean. Usually I make such a big deal about it because it sucks majorly when nobody remembers, even if it's just another year where all my work is classified and I have no chance with that Nobel, but." He shook his hands in the air vigorously, making a strange, strangled sound in the back of his throat. "Well. You know. I hoped that. Well, at least after that time I almost died and Elizabeth said- and Ronon hugged me- and. Well. I figured. Just to see, you know?" He glanced at Sheppard's face, nervous and twitchy, but the man wasn't looking back at him, strides steady as he moved beside the CSO. "Well. No. It turns out- no one's mentioned it. Not even Radek. Hell, Carter didn't mention it, and she writes people's birthday notes at the beginning of each month!"

John glanced back at him casually, raising an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, and Rodney threw his hands up in the air, crying out in frustration. "I mean, the least they could do is pretend! I save their asses who knows how many times a day, just by preemptively correcting mistakes, and sure I'm a little rough about it, but- I really do mean the best, and I thought people knew that, and- damn. Everyone wants friends." He barely noticed when John took a sharp left, having to track back to stomp through the door- and was frozen in place, eyes large and blue when half of Atlantis greeted him, raising glasses of champagne (and how did they get enough bottles for everyone to have more than a dollop without his notice?) and shouting greetings and 'happy birthday's over each other.

He turned to look at John and found only a mess of black hair vanishing into the crowd, the man's stride unbroken as he made his way to the back where Lorne handed him his own flute. Sam came up with a flute for Rodney, grinning. "Having a good day?"

"I-" he swallowed, catching the CMO roll his eyes as he explained something to his second, imitating Rodney's hand gestures, and almost but didn't miss the smirk that was more fond than anything, and smiled lopsidedly as he turned to Sam. "I think I am."


End file.
